I don't think its comercial fisheries doing the most damage either, the amount that is offered for sale on Facebook and other mediums I saw 10kg advertised today for $500.
Gets offered for sale on road sides and just about everyone knows someone selling bait.
Greedy people taking more than they need to turn a quick buck.
It's so bad that Gangs are gettin in on it and standing over people for their stands.
White bait may as well be extinct already cause it will be soon enough

"The idea that it tastes good is not an excuse that we would accept for the kiwi so I don't think we should accept that for our fish."

I heard somewhere that kiwi taste like crap, and Maori didn't eat them. Dunno if it's true or not.

In the Fisheries Act, permits are required for the sale of all fish and shellfish, but whitebait are specifically exempted. I wonder how many people selling it declare it to the IRD and pay their tax - not many would be my guess.

The IRD on the west coast have been pretty tough for a while on this. Probably the last 20 years or so?
Go down to people on the bank and see if they want to do a cashy, making out they want it for mum etc. If they accept they get done.
I would suggest the majority of whitebait sold is taxed but the guy who sells 100k's to his local pub are still around for sure but just remember not everyone catch's that much if they are just doing it for a hobby/lifestyle.
The big issue is the habitat, not the catching.
A commercial baiter I knew back in the early 2000's said there were several runs a year, over 3, mostly outside of the season. I cant confirm this so will cop it if wrong.
He did it as a proper business-had the stand down south westland, very remote access, jetboat, vehicles everything booked to the company. Rest of the year he was a contract fitter/welder
There is nowhere near the bait caught like there used to be. There are stories of it being dug into the garden back in the 40's and 50's.

The IRD on the west coast have been pretty tough for a while on this. Probably the last 20 years or so?
Go down to people on the bank and see if they want to do a cashy, making out they want it for mum etc. If they accept they get done.
I would suggest the majority of whitebait sold is taxed but the guy who sells 100k's to his local pub are still around for sure but just remember not everyone catch's that much if they are just doing it for a hobby/lifestyle.
The big issue is the habitat, not the catching.
A commercial baiter I knew back in the early 2000's said there were several runs a year, over 3, mostly outside of the season. I cant confirm this so will cop it if wrong.
He did it as a proper business-had the stand down south westland, very remote access, jetboat, vehicles everything booked to the company. Rest of the year he was a contract fitter/welder
There is nowhere near the bait caught like there used to be. There are stories of it being dug into the garden back in the 40's and 50's.

Yeah man, last stat I saw said the fishery was responsible for about 20% of the total mortality rate.
Habitat and predation is the primary issue, but they are much much harder to deal to. Argument is that if you can reduce mortality by 20% with a stroke of a pen then it will buy time to attempt to fix the greater issue.

Like a lot of things on our poor earth. Over utilization of natural resources and resultant pollution, disease along with using "quickfixes" with little care for the consequences of some of these.
It is a real shame that ordinary people may be deprived of the enjoyment of natural harvest , while the more significant causative factors are largely protected by money and careless or ignorant greed along with slow and poor governance. Too many people and too much debt in our country.